Modem multi-purpose vehicles such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and minivans have become extremely versatile and family-friendly, which explains much of their broad appeal among consumers. Such versatility would be greatly increased if, when the vehicle is at rest, the front seats of such vehicles could easily be reversed so that the occupant faces the rear of the vehicle. With the front seat occupant(s) facing the occupants in the second row of seating, conversations could be easier facilitated, in-car dining would be more enjoyable, and passing time inside the vehicle in the event, for example, of inclement outdoor weather would be more enjoyable. Such seat reversibility would need to be accomplished with minimal effort, maximum safety for all age groups, remain aesthetically pleasing to today's demanding consumer, and at minimal cost to the automotive industry. Previous attempts to accomplish each of these objectives have failed.
Reversible automobile seats have been the subject of previous disclosures. These efforts, however, have not accomplished all of the objectives described above. Several of these disclosures are discussed briefly below. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 870,385 to Rideout et al. describes a reversible car seat that has mutually interchangeable back and seat components. U.S. Pat. No. 1,051,040 to Wheatley discloses a reversible car seat in which the seatback flips on a horizontal axis to create a rear-facing orientation. U.S. Pat. No. 2,004,850 to Bugatti utilizes a reversible seat for use in road or rail vehicles, with the seatback and cushion mounted on a common framework.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,785 to Plume describes a complex seat in which the seat bottom rakes in either direction to create the reversed orientation, an approach that involves moving parts that would make the whole seat assembly too expensive for mass production. U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,270 to Muraishi and U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,234 B1 to Haynes et al. describe automobile seats that accomplish the reversed orientation through pivots or rotation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,343 to Meza and U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,051 to Logsdon also describe pivoting seats for dual-purpose vehicles in the construction industry. However, this pivoting or rotating action is difficult to accomplish in modem automobile interiors because modem interiors lack adequate room for such rotation of the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,384 to Rossi describes a seat with a removable seat portion. The two sides of the removable portion are each made of a different material, allowing the user to choose which material faces direct sunlight while the vehicle is parked. U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,398 to Namba et al. involves a seatback that reclines to a flat position and when combined with a foldable second row seat, creates a continuous plane inside the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,763 to Clemente discloses a second row seat in which the seatback folds forward against the seat cushion; the whole structure then folds forward again for out-of-the-way storage. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,155,626 and 6,161,892, and EP 0,976,605 A1, all to Chabanne et al., describe a removable, reversible and longitudinally adjustable vehicle seat that rests on slides or runners on the vehicle floor. The seat can also fold up and forward for compact storage in a manner similar to the Clemente patent.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,199,945 B1, 6,488,333 B2 and 6,494,531 B1, all to Kim, disclose a vehicle seat for reversible occupant travel. The seat features a double-sided seatback that is longitudinally adjustable using controls on its slides or runners on the floor. The seat involves many exposed metal parts with sharp corners and is likely too complex for mass production.
Each of the above-identified disclosures are inadequate for at least one of the following reasons: (1) too complex for mass production, so that the cost of manufacture is too high, (2) too many moving metal components that could inadvertently cause injury to small children, (3) a rotating or pivoting component for which modem automobile interiors do not allow sufficient space, and (4) an overall design/appearance that would likely not be acceptable to consumers that demand interior beauty as well as functionality and ease of use.
In contrast, the structure described by this invention is conceptually simple, and involves no exposed, moveable metal parts. Therefore, it does not have any sharp corners, which could cause injury or other damage. It also does not involve rotation, pivoting action, or swiveling action to accomplish a reversed seat orientation. Therefore, the interior space of the vehicle is not a limiting factor for the use of the present invention. Moreover, the present invention accomplishes the above objectives without compromising the safety or appearance of an aesthetically pleasing automobile interior environment.
Accordingly, the present invention addresses such prior art shortcomings of automobile seats, and in particular the shortcomings of known reversible automobile seats.